Rubber tire for vehicle-wheels.



Unire rares ROLLIN S. WOODRUFF, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

RUBBER TIRE FOR VEHICLE-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,725, dated January29, 1901.

Application filed November 14, 1900. Serial No. 36,488. (No model To allwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROLLIN S. WOODRUFF, of New I-Iaven, in the county ofNew Haven and Stateof Connecticut,have inventedanew Improvement inRubber rlires for Vehicle- Wheels; and I do hereby declare thefollowing, when taken in connection with the accom panying drawings andthe letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute a partofthis specification, and represent., in-

Figure l, a broken top view of a wheelrim with a tire thereon, the endsof the tire separated to show the connecting-wires therein; Fig. 2,alongitudinal sectional View showing the same parts; Fig. 3, a sectionalview showing the ends of the tire united. g

rlhis invention relates to an improvement in rubber tires forvehicle-wheels,and particularly to that class of wheels which areadapted for comparatively heavy use and in which a solid tire isemployed, and more particularly to that class in which the tires aresecured within a metal channel or groove by means of annular bands ofWire extending through the tire.

One method of securing tires to the rims is to force back the rubbertire upon the securing-wires, so that the ends of the wires are eX-posed between the ends of the tire. These ends are placed under tensionand their ends secured by soldering or other means and then the ends ofthe tire released, allowing them to come together and be cemented. ingthe wires proper tension, however, between the ends of the rubber tirethey are drawn into nearly a straight line, and hence lie very close tothe rim and so that when the ends of the tires are released and cometogether they fail to lift the wires from the rim, and therefore thatportion of the tire below the wires is cut away or torn, leaving a weakspot at this point.

The object of this invention is to overcome this difficulty; and itconsists in arranging a hard substance below the wires at one or bothends of the wire, which in passing beneath the wires as the ends of thetire come together will .raise the wires and prevent their cutting thetire, and in further details of construction and combinations of parts,as will be hereinafterdeseribed,and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the usual rim of a wheel, and B a metal tire arrangedthereon and having iianges C D, forming a groove, within which therubber tire is arranged in the usual manner.

As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the rubber tire E is secured by fourwires F,which extend throughout the tire, which may be of any approvedform, but preferably having a flat lower face. Into the lower face ofone or both ends of the tire I arrange a plate or block G of hardrubber, fiber, metal, or other suitable material, and these blocks areso located that the wires F will rest or bear upon them. The tire thusformed is placed in the groove or channel B in the usual manner and theends forced back, so as to expose the ends of the wires between them,and these wires lare drawn together under great pressure and othersuitable joint. In thus drawing and joining the wires between the endsof the tire the wires naturally stand ina straight line between the endsof the tire, as shown in Fig. 2, and hence their centers lie close to orupon the face of the groove or channel B. After the wires are thusconnected the ends of the tire are released and allowed to spring or bedrawn together and their ends cemented. In thus coming together theblocks G raise the wires F into line with the openings in the tire, asshown in Fig. 3, and therefore prevent the wires from cutting away theportion of the rubber tire below the openings through which the wiresextend. It will be understood that if the wires Fare connected byelectric welding the blocks Gr should be of hard rubber, iiber,or othernon-conductor of electricity. It isalso evident that in some cases ablock arranged in one end of the tire will be suiiicient; but preferablya block will be arranged at both ends.

By the term wires as herein used it will be understood that either roundwires may be employed, as shown, or fiat bands and that the tire may besolid or of the so-called cushion type. I therefore do not wish to beunderstood as limiting the invention to the exact forms shown; but,

Having fully described my invention, what their ends united either byelectric welding or Iciaim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The combination with a rubber tire for Vehicle-Wheels and the wiresextending therethrough and by which it is secured in position, of ablock mounted in one end of the tire below the said wires and upon whichthe Wires may rest, substantially as described.

2. The combination With a rubber tire for Vehicle-wheels and the Wiresextending therethrough and by which it is secured in position, of blocksmounted in the ends of the tire below the said Wires,and upon which theWires may rest, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a. wheel-rim and groove or channel thereon, ofa. rubber tire having wires extending therethrough, and by which thetire is secured in the channel, of biocks of harder substance than thetire arranged in the ends 0f the tire below the Wires therein, and uponwhich the Wires rest, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

ROLLIN S. WOODRUFF.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. SEYMOUR, FRED C. EARLE.

